Markham Place Class hosted “Friendsgiving Day” Celebration

On Tuesday, November 21st, the students of Mrs. Poland's class (formerly Ms. Berkeley) hosted a “Friendsgiving” celebration and invited friends and staff members at MPS to join in the fun! The students cooked a traditional Thanksgiving meal and decorated the classroom for the holiday. Staff members brought Thanksgiving themed activities and crafts for the students to enjoy after the feast! Mrs. Rosen (Director of Curriculum and Instruction) taught Mrs. Poland's students how to make a Thanksgiving cornucopia which was the centerpiece for the feast!

Music News

On Saturday, November 18th, three Markham Place students Brady Prunty (grade 6), Raymond Faiella (grade 8), and James Sack (grade 8) auditioned for All Shore Intermediate Band. Ray and James were both accepted, and Brady was extremely close to qualification! Congratulations to all three boys! Red Bank Regional High School will be hosting the dress rehearsals and the concert on Wednesday, February 8th at 7 PM. Tickets are available.

Also, former Little Silver graduate Matt Rosen wowed the crowds during his senior clarinet recital at the New School in New York City. Congratulations Matt! We are looking forward to reading about your future success.

​The Bag Brigade was a SUCCESS!

​On Friday, November 17th, the Little Silver PTO hosted its 4th Annual Bag Brigade. As a result of the generous donations from our residents, over 500 “bags of kindness” were filled and prepared to be shipped to military personnel in support of the Lt. Dennis Zilinski II Memorial Fund. Thank you Little Silver Warriors for your support of our military warriors!

Mark Your Calendars for the Barnes and Nobel Book Fair

On Friday, December 15th, between the hours of 4-7 PM, come visit Barnes and Noble at the Eatontown Mall to listen to students and staff read and Markham Place musicians perform, as you browse the store and support our school libraries.

2017 Computer Science​Education Week is December 4-10

Computer Science Education Week is held annually in recognition of the birthday of computing pioneer Admiral Grace Murray Hopper (December 9, 1906). The students in both schools will be participating in the Hour of Code (see https://hourofcode.com/us). The Hour of Code is a global movement reaching tens of millions of students in 180+ countries. Ask your children about coding!

Top Secret Story Box Project

The 7th grade spent the past few weeks collaborating with one another in the first annual, MPS Top Secret Story Box Project. Students had an opportunity to delve into their independent novels to find an engaging snippet that included all of the following components: strong characterization, vivid setting imagery and craft that built tension for the conflict. Students submitted their novel snippet to a panel of peers for analysis and evaluation. Each panel then chose one outstanding story to submit to the Top Secret Story Box, creating a class set of 5-7 snippets. Mrs. Snevily, Ms. Mullan and Mrs. VanA's classes delivered the top secret story box to each other's classes. After a fun day of cracking the code to unlock the box, students read snippets with a writer's eye while looking for inspiration to continue the story on their own. Students then used the snippets as the introduction to their final narratives. They had to continue the story while mimicking the author's style and providing all elements of strong narrative writing. Finally, students shared their work across classrooms to see how they completed one another's snippets. The students really enjoyed reading one another's work.

Special thanks to Mrs. Largiader, Mr. Galgon, and Mrs. Macchia for helping our students "crack the code"!

"I loved the Top Secret Story Box Project because now I want to read the full novel to know whether or not my prediction for the story was right!" - Kiley Langan

"The Top Secret Story Box Project was a real life mystery adventure. I felt like I was really in the mystery when I had to go into the jungle of chemistry, the wonders of history, and the puzzles of math to unlock my class's mystery box." - Sophie Scharmann

The New Jersey Department of Health Promotes Flu Vaccines

While vaccination is an individual decision, during December 3rd-9th, the New Jersey Department of Health is honoring National Influenza Vaccination Week (NIVW) by reminding residents to get their annual flu vaccine. Flu vaccination coverage estimates from past years have shown that influenza vaccination activity drops quickly after the end of November. Therefore, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and their partners chose December for NIVW to remind people that even though the holiday season has arrived, it is not too late to get your flu vaccine.

Mrs. Whittle wins Grant from JCP&L

On Monday, November 27th, Mrs. Whittle was awarded $425 for a FirstEnergy STEM grant for which she applied. Last year, Mrs. Whittle’s 3rd grade students learned about electrical forces. They conducted simulations with electrical connections through online activities. They also used alligator clips with lights, switches and batteries to learn how to wire a circuit. As a culminating activity, students used copper tape, coin cell batteries and LED lights to create light-up cards. This year, Mrs. Whittle wanted to take this a step further with her current 4th grade students. With advances in technology, Mrs. Whittle wants her students to create light-up clothing and other items using conductive thread and LED lights. In the process of creating these objectives, the students will be learning about how circuits work. Mrs. Whittle wrote a grant to obtain the necessary materials for her 4th grade students to choose from one of three projects: a light-up hat, a t-shirt or a puppet. All of the projects will be completed using conductive thread, LED lights and either coin cell batteries or solar panels. CONGRATULATIONS Mrs. Whittle!

Strategic Planning

On Saturday, February 24th, the Little Silver School District will be hosting a Strategic Plan Renewal Day to identify goals for the next five school years. This will be a full-day commitment (8:30 AM – 3:00 PM), and lunch will be served. In order to plan accordingly, interested staff and community members should sign-up to participate using the Event Sign-Up Link under the Parent tab on the district website. See: http://www.littlesilverschools.org/event-sign-up.html

Point Road Students Go on a Google Expedition!

On Wednesday, October 25th, students at the Point Road School had the opportunity to test out the new Google Expeditions Augmented Reality Program. This new Google app is currently in the testing phase and not even available to the general public yet! Google has been testing this new app in various schools in California and New Jersey to obtain feedback for improvements that might be needed before it is released to the general public. All students in grades 1-4 were able to participate in a Google Expedition. These Expeditions took students to the time of Dinosaurs to the farthest reaches of outer space. As each class entered the Expedition room, they were greeted with special phone-like devices that were mounted on selfie sticks. They could then use the device to look at different parts of the classroom where images came to life in “life-like” clarity. In 1st grade, students were actually able to enter the sun and see the different layers along with experiencing an asteroid belt and observing the different planets. In 2nd grade, students were able to look at dinosaurs “up close and personal”. Students were lying on the floor to examine the dinosaurs’ bellies and then had the opportunity to look into the mouth of a Tyrannosaurus Rex! 3rd graders experienced different landforms and were able to stand on mountains and view plains and plateaus. 4th graders took a trip inside a tornado and actually saw a volcano erupt along with viewing the different layers of the planet. Students and teachers alike enjoyed the experience and can’t wait until they can experience this new Google Application in the future!​

Did you know that technological innovation in schools is not a “nice to have” but rather a necessity? As educators, we need to prepare our students beginning at an early age to be prepared for high-skilled jobs – all of which will involve technology. Many careers today are no longer as linear as they once were. In a recent publication from the International Center for Leadership in Education, the author indicated that Facebook is the world’s largest media provider, but it owns no content. Alibaba is the world’s largest seller of products, but it owns no inventory. Airbnb facilitates housing for more travelers than any other hotel company in the world, but it owns no properties. Uber is the world’s largest provider of automobile transportation, yet it owns no cars. Each transition away from how these industries have historically operated represents change in jobs and skills. We want to ensure that the children of Little Silver are well equipped with the technological skills necessary to pursue any of their desired career paths.

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Author

As Superintendent of Little Silver Schools District I am committed to preparing your children for their future, not for our past. Children continue to excel and thrive when they are given opportunities to explore and learn through exceptional instruction in a warm, nurturing environment.

Mission Statement:In partnership with families and community, the Little Silver Borough Public School District is invested in continued excellence by inspiring critical thinking, fostering intellectual curiosity, and promoting acceptance of individuals, allowing children to achieve their full potential as responsible, contributing citizens of an ever-changing global community.